El Paso, Texas (KFOX14) — Okay, this was fun. We brought Chef Diego Lucero of Texas Culinary Institute into the Daytime kitchen to answer a practical question: Can cottage cheese make party dips creamier without making the recipe complicated?
By the end of the segment, we had two very different answers sitting on the counter. The first was a cottage cheese guacamole with a little green chile heat. The second was a three-ingredient queso-style dip made for tostadas, tortilla chips and football parties.
A creamier take on guacamole
We started with fresh avocado and added Price’s cottage cheese for a smoother, creamier texture. A spoonful of Price’s Green Chile Dip brought in the spice, while lime and sea salt kept everything bright.
The key was not to overthink it. Mash the avocados, mix in the dairy ingredients, add the lime and salt, then adjust the texture until it looks right.
Chef Diego connected the cottage cheese to something many people are already thinking about when they plan meals and snacks.
“People nowadays are looking for more protein in their meals. So the cottage cheese is a really easy way to do that,” he said.
The cottage cheese blended into the guacamole instead of overpowering it. The finished dip looked smooth, held together beautifully and still tasted like the party favorite people expect. The green chile added just enough Borderland heat to make things interesting.
This was not about turning guacamole into something unrecognizable. It was a practical way to make a familiar recipe feel a little more substantial.
Three ingredients for a queso-style dip
The second recipe was even more direct.
Chef Diego blended Price’s cottage cheese with Price’s Green Chile Dip until the mixture became creamy. He then added 16 ounces of extra-sharp cheddar cheese.
That was it: cottage cheese, flavored dip and cheddar.
We served the finished mixture with tostadas and talked through a few topping possibilities. Fresh tomatoes and onions both made the list. The dip had enough body to stay on the tostada, which matters once the snack table gets crowded.
It also came together without a long list of specialty ingredients. The cottage cheese created the creamy base, the cheddar brought the stronger cheese flavor and the green chile dip added the spice.
Make it milder or turn up the heat
The same idea can move in different directions by changing the flavored dip.
“We can do French onion,” Chef Diego said. “Or if you do want a little more spice, do the jalapeño.”
French onion keeps the flavor familiar and mild. Jalapeño gives it a stronger kick. Green chile lands somewhere in the middle and brings in a flavor that feels right at home in El Paso.
For the final taste test, Yvonne from Texas Culinary Institute and Monica joined us at the counter. The group agreed that the dip was creamy, colorful and a little spicy. Once we said, “Dig in,” nobody needed a second invitation.
Price’s has been part of the El Paso story since 1906, so using its cottage cheese and flavored dips in a Borderland-inspired snack felt natural. The part that caught us was how simple the process stayed. There was no complicated technique, just a few smart combinations that came together quickly on set.
Watch the full Daytime feature to see Chef Diego’s method and the finished texture, then use the different dip flavors and toppings to make each recipe your own.
SEGMENT 1 Daytime Web
High-Protein Queso
Ingredients
2 cups Price’s cottage cheese
1 container Price’s green chile sour cream
16 oz shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Directions
1.Blend the cottage cheese and cornstarch until smooth.
2.Transfer to a pot. Stir in the sour cream and heat until steaming.
3.Slowly add the cheddar, stirring until melted.
4.Serve warm. Buen provecho!